Okay, so I didn't get a ticket in the lotto which isn't too surprising given the math (over 150,000 registered). Stubhub has tickets starting at $625 which is $235 more than the highest priced tier (not that bad when you think about it). I'm thinking the secondary market will be very big b/c so many people registered for more tickets than they needed.

So when would be a good time to buy (besides immediately prior to August 29th). I'm kind of surprised the current premium is only $235 with there being so many people without tickets. It may hold $600 for a while BUT I doubt it will go much higher......which means it can only get CHEAPER!!!

The profit scalpers are going to make is not something I want to speculate on considering many of my friends did not get a ticket.

And your math is wrong. The highest tier was $420. The pre-sale. And I do believe most of those tickets on stubhub have been there for quite awhile. There is a large contingent of FBer's reporting burning man ticket sales on ebay so most have moved over to stub hub because they aren't doing anything about the resales.

Okay, so the current premium is $200 above the highest priced tier. Given the situation of so many people not winning the lottery that premium isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Consider what the average person will spend at buring man (transportation, supplies, BM extras, ect ect) and the current premium may only add 20-30% to the cost of the total trip.

Anyhow, I'm thinking this will be the year the scalpers get BURNED or at the very least disappointed. I wouldn't be surprised to see tickets selling in the $400 or less range once people actually have them in hand and the market dries up a bit i.e., a lot of people are changing their plans already.

I know that my friends are not even considering a scalper. They are putting out the word into the community that they did not secure a ticket and if anyone hears of an extra - they are willing to pay face. Also most will register for the STEP system and try that. One has even said she is going to start booking a trip to Hawaii instead.

I pray that people do not feed the scalpers. Let them eat the cost. Bastards.

Uhhhhh...........Isn't Burning Man a LLC now?? I'm not completely sure on their business status BUT someone is making a lot of money here and I'm not saying that is wrong either.

As far as the scalpers go that category would probably include a lot of BM participants i.e. people who purchased more tickets than they needed. I say let the free market take it's course.......they can LOSE money too:)

IF YOU BUY A TICKET ON THE SECONDARY MARKET RIGHT NOW YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

Is that emphasized enough?

There are NO physical tickets for sale ANYWHERE yetAny tickets you see on StubHub, Craiglist, eBay or anywhere else are just "promises" of tickets- the real ones don't get sent until June.

Want a ticket- here's what you do:

1) Once STEP (the official Burning Man ticket exchange) opens in late Feb, register for it. Face value only, the LLC transfers the names, all legit (depends on number of excessive tickets bought)

2) End of March- last 10,000 tickets released at $390. Try to get one (some)

3) End of June, early July- once the physical tickets are actually available you start shopping the general resale market. If you pay more than face value you are contributing to the scalpers & giving them a reason to keep trying to game the system.

*oi*

It's a camping trip in the desert, not the redemption of the fallen world - Cryptofishist

Eric wrote:IF YOU BUY A TICKET ON THE SECONDARY MARKET RIGHT NOW YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

Is that emphasized enough?

There are NO physical tickets for sale ANYWHERE yetAny tickets you see on StubHub, Craiglist, eBay or anywhere else are just "promises" of tickets- the real ones don't get sent until June.

Want a ticket- here's what you do:

1) Once STEP (the official Burning Man ticket exchange) opens in late Feb, register for it. Face value only, the LLC transfers the names, all legit (depends on number of excessive tickets bought)

2) End of March- last 10,000 tickets released at $390. Try to get one (some)

3) End of June, early July- once the physical tickets are actually available you start shopping the general resale market. If you pay more than face value you are contributing to the scalpers & giving them a reason to keep trying to game the system.

+1000. But when is STEP going live? If it was open now there sure would be a lot less anxiety.

*oi*

In your wildest dreams you can not imagine the marvelous SURPRISES that await YOU.

Eric wrote:1) Once STEP (the official Burning Man ticket exchange)opens in late Feb, register for it. Face value only, the LLC transfers the names, all legit (depends on number of excessive tickets bought)

+1000. But when is STEP going live? If it was open now there sure would be a lot less anxiety.

Late Feb. There would still be anxiety if it opened now because people are freaked out and STEP depends on people with tickets putting some of them back into the pool. Once things calm down a bit ticket holders will be able to make rational decisions on what to do with any "extras", and people needing them will hopefully be calm enough not to hit "refresh" every 30 seconds to see if they got one.

This isn't going to be a quick process for most of us, but I know I'll be in the dust this year come hell or no water. Panicking is just going to lead to rash decisions that will backfire.

It's a camping trip in the desert, not the redemption of the fallen world - Cryptofishist

ctys20 wrote:Okay, so I didn't get a ticket in the lotto which isn't too surprising given the math (over 150,000 registered). Stubhub has tickets starting at $625 which is $235 more than the highest priced tier (not that bad when you think about it). I'm thinking the secondary market will be very big b/c so many people registered for more tickets than they needed.

So when would be a good time to buy (besides immediately prior to August 29th). I'm kind of surprised the current premium is only $235 with there being so many people without tickets. It may hold $600 for a while BUT I doubt it will go much higher......which means it can only get CHEAPER!!!

Post your price predictions here!!!

People buying now are idiots. Never ever ever ever buy a ticket to one of these events unless it's from BM or the ticket is in hand. Trust me I know I got burned bad before.

Eric wrote:IF YOU BUY A TICKET ON THE SECONDARY MARKET RIGHT NOW YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

Is that emphasized enough?

There are NO physical tickets for sale ANYWHERE yetAny tickets you see on StubHub, Craiglist, eBay or anywhere else are just "promises" of tickets- the real ones don't get sent until June.

Want a ticket- here's what you do:

1) Once STEP (the official Burning Man ticket exchange) opens in late Feb, register for it. Face value only, the LLC transfers the names, all legit (depends on number of excessive tickets bought)

2) End of March- last 10,000 tickets released at $390. Try to get one (some)

3) End of June, early July- once the physical tickets are actually available you start shopping the general resale market. If you pay more than face value you are contributing to the scalpers & giving them a reason to keep trying to game the system.

*oi*

Could you guys post this on your main website at least so people get that....It should be the first thing on the main page right now. Shesh people are dumb but it's dumb not to make it easy to tell them the truth when a frenzy is occurring and scalpers are posting, buy now before it gets worse!!!!

Eric wrote:This isn't going to be a quick process for most of us, but I know I'll be in the dust this year come hell or no water. Panicking is just going to lead to rash decisions that will backfire.

Your are absolutely right. All this freaking out does not do anyone any good. Yes, it would have been nice for everyone to have gotten there tickets and say, "OK, glad that is over" but that is never how it is. I mean, i was not even going last year until 3 before the burn and after the event sold out. The roof collapsed at where I was working which allowed me to escape to the desert. Then a ticket appeared in Brooklyn and I was off to SF and then to the playa.

ctys20 wrote:Uhhhhh...........Isn't Burning Man a LLC now?? I'm not completely sure on their business status BUT someone is making a lot of money here and I'm not saying that is wrong either.

As far as the scalpers go that category would probably include a lot of BM participants i.e. people who purchased more tickets than they needed. I say let the free market take it's course.......they can LOSE money too:)

i don't find hoarding tickets to be legitimately free market. there is plenty of evidence that scalpers and ticket resellers game the system and use illegal (or at the very least, VERY unfair) methods to obtain their tickets. they're manipulating the actual supply and demand so they can make money. and that's not free market, that's fucking cheating.

havoc wrote:i don't find hoarding tickets to be legitimately free market. there is plenty of evidence that scalpers and ticket resellers game the system and use illegal (or at the very least, VERY unfair) methods to obtain their tickets. they're manipulating the actual supply and demand so they can make money. and that's not free market, that's fucking cheating.